He said IT is the most hi-tech, but it is also the cheapest and most accessible to poor people, which is why it minimises the disparity between the rich and the poor nations of the word.

The seminar on 'Convergent media: the impact of new media technology on society' was organised by Eastern University at Russian Cultural Centre in the city.

Presently 80 percent resources of the world are possessed by 20 percent people of the West, which was possible due to money-dependent industrial revolution in Europe, the minister said, adding the poor nations can also take the advantage of IT which is user-friendly and cheap.

"We the people in third world may be poor, but we have talent. So, using the most hi-tech but the cheap technology we can develop faster than that of the developed world," he said referring that one in every 15 people in Bangladesh has mobile phone.

Pro Golam Rahman of Dhaka University however expressed his concern saying that the information technology is still limited to a section of people of the society, which runs the risk of creating a digital divide.

"There is no doubt that the new media technologies have tremendously increased the quality and style of life and Broadband will reach 50 crore people globally by 2009, but what about the other 550 crore people?" he posed a question.

This divide will lead to complications in livelihood, he said, adding, "We have to think of strategies on how to minimise the digital divide."

Presenting the keynote paper Dr Serajul I Bhuiyan, professor and director of mass communication and journalism department of Lincoln University, USA, said access to new and interactive media technology ensures free speech and free flow of information that strengthens democracy.

"Convergent journalism in the era of new technologies is more powerful because it reaches more people at more levels in more ways. So, it depends on how we can properly use it," he said.

Eastern University Vice-chancellor Dr Rahim B Talukder said there are good and bade impacts of new information and media technologies and the young people have to choose what they will accept and reject.

DU Professor Dr Sakhawat Ali Khan, daily Khabarpatra Editor Gias Kamal Chowdhury, ATN Bangla Advisor Saiful Bari, Eastern University Foundation Chairman Abul Quasem Haider and Eastern University Pro-VC Dr Abdur Rab also spoke.